this book made me do it

Twirl a pencilMultiply your money Guess a friend’s card Palm a coin Repair a string with magic Take to the skies Make an invincible balloon Guess the domino Escape from a maze Make a

book MADE

me

DO IT

vid Ball, Mik Gat

es, Ralph Pit

y

DK Publishing, 375 Hudson Str

eet,

New York, Ne

w York 10014

Copyright © 2010 Dorling Kindersle

y Limited

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eserved under Int

ernational and Pan-American Cop

yright

Conventions No par

t of this publication ma

y be reproduced, st

ored

in a retrieval syst

wise,

without the prior writt

en permission of the cop

yright owner

Published in Gr

eat Britain b

y Dorling Kindersle

y Limited

emiums, fund–raising, or educational use

For details, contact:

DK Publishing Special Mark

d for this book is a

es workflo

w proofed b

y MDP, UK

Print

ed b

y Toppan, China

Disco ver mor

e at www

.dk.com

Written by John Woodward Contributors: Francesca Baines,

Carron Brown, Steven Carton, Jenny Finch, Joe Fullman, Clare Hibbert, and James Mitchem

Illustrated by Tobatron

THIS

book MADE

me

DO IT

Twirl a pencil

Multiply your money

Guess a friend’s card

Palm a coin

Repair a string with magic

Take to the skies

Make an invincible balloon

Guess the domino

Escape from a maze

Make a friend scream

Bodysurf at home

Levitate

Walk through paper

Play the blues

Play the piano

Figure out your Chinese

Prepare for the afterlife

Hold a ghost hunt

Confuse your brain

See impossible shapes

Find your blind spot

Cook a tasty pizza Rustle up some damper

Fry up some hotcakes Celebrate a festival

Cook perfect pasta Make tomato sauce Eat spaghetti like an Italian

Spot a broody hen Cook a Spanish omelet Fry lunch in the Sun Make a naked egg

Wish a friend “Happy Birthday”

Serve homemade lemonade Make real hot chocolate Whiz up smoothies

Fast-freeze ice cream Make an ice bowl

62 Grow your own food

Make a water bomb

Fold a boomerang

Dye tissue paper

Use natural dyes

Fill some confetti eggs

Make a survival wristlet

Knit fingerless gloves

Tie a bandanna

Turn a magazine into

Make a decorative bowl

Have fun with photography

Snap a light picture

Make a computer animation

Dissect an owl pellet

Make a hummingbird feeder Hang a bird box

Build a compost pile

Plant some sunflower seeds

Climb a rope Measure a tree’s height Figure out a tree’s age

Dowse for water Hunt for fossils

Make gooey slime Explode cola with mints

Power an electromagnet Use a lemon as a battery

Be an astronaut

Make a binoculars stand

Make an eclipse viewer Get a comet named after you

120 SURVIVE IN THE WILD

Make a shadow compass

Watch your way

Improvise a magnet

Find your latitude

Locate north and south

Escape an alligator

Avoid a shark attack

Identify deadly snakes

Deal with snakebites

Build a cozy bivouac

Treat heat stroke

Stop severe blood loss

Help a choking victim

Learn the Raí flick Dive for the ball Score a penalty

Play cricket anywhere Pitch in baseball

Bounce along in ping-pong Sneak a hot dog

Hit a drop shot in badminton

Learn basketball moves Spin the ball

Bowl a strike Control your cue

Try a cool catch

Fix a flat tire

170 Snowboard a halfpipe

Rappel down again

Perfect a break roll

Dive like an arrow

Make a big splash

DIY mini golf

Win at arm wrestling Knuckle down at marbles Play table soccer

How to use this book safely—an

important note for children and adults

This book is packed with things to do—some are very

simple, while others are more tricky There are some things

we hope you never have to do With luck you’ll never find

yourself face-to-face with a bear, but we give you advice

to reduce the odds We’ve also told you what to do in

a worst-case scenario But you should never seek out

a bear to check that we’re right

We’ve also told you how to do some extraordinary things

that you’ve probably only dreamed about But if we say you

shouldn’t try something yourself, we mean it Don’t take

off in an armchair balloon, for example, as you could get

arrested for entering foreign airspace

Just use your common sense We’d never recommend

for you stroll up to the cockpit and suggest to the pilot

to bring the plane into Chicago O’Hare Airport—one of

us might be onboard. And it’s obvious you shouldn’t try

your first ski jump with only this book in your hand for guidance as you stand at the top of the ramp We hope this book will inspire you to take up a new sport or activity, but if it’s in any way dangerous, you’ll need to properly research it and get professional advice before you start. 

Have fun reading this book and trying things for yourself sensibly and safely We’ve marked with symbols where you need to take extra care and where you must have an adult

to help or supervise you—see below In most cases, it’s obvious why you have to be careful, but if there’s specific safety advice you need to know, we’ll tell you

 The authors and publisher cannot take responsibility for the outcome, injury, loss, damage, or mess that occurs as a result

of you attempting the activities in this book Tell an adult before you do any of them, carefully follow the instructions, and look out for and pay attention to the following symbols:

Take extra care when doing this activity.

You should do this activity only with an adult.

Read this information for guidance

on specific safety advice.

! Make sure that there Safety!

are no obstructions, such

as rocks, in the water below Check that the

to dive into without hitting the bottom

AMAZE YOUR FRIENDS

ve a f ew tricks up their

slee ve t o surprise or ent

ertain people when

they least expect it, and it’

2Prepare to pull the

tablecloth by firmly holding one end of it Place one hand

on each side of the overhanging cloth, parallel to the tabletop

straight down from the tabletop The faster and smoother the pull, the higher the chance of success

a tabletop, smooth out any

wrinkles, and stack your

objects on top, close to the

table’s edge Make sure the

items aren’t breakable

10

Pull a tablecloth

This classic trick never fails to amaze Clear the dinner table in reverse by

pulling the tablecloth out from underneath the items on its surface The goal is

to smoothly complete the move while the objects remain in place on the table.

Juggle two balls

Juggling is a great party trick that, when perfected,

will mesmerize anyone who watches.

TOP TIP

Tired of picking up balls from the floor?

Try tossing beanbags—

it won’t stop you from dropping them, but they won’t roll away.

HOW THIS WORKS

According to Isaac Newton’s first law of motion, an object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by an outside force If the surface of the table is smooth and you pull hard enough on the cloth so that it moves quickly, the friction created

is not a strong enough force

to move the objects This

is also why the trick works better with heavier objects

For a more traditional dining-related activity,

go to pages 58–59 to learn how to fold a napkin

The peak of the ball’s arc should

be at eye level.

The ball should fall naturally into your hand.

TOP TIP

You can also try this trick using a stack

of coins and a sheet

of paper It’s not as dramatic but gives the same effect.

its arc, throw another ball from your other hand just below the arc of the first ball

hand to another Aim for the ball to peak

in your hand Repeat this process until you can maintain a solid rhythm

Escape

from

handcuffs

Become a regular Houdini and

escape from imprisonment

You don’t want to be tied

down, so follow these steps

and make a great escape.

around each of your friend’s wrists Then ask your friend to do the same to you, first crossing your string over theirs

down and push it through the loop

Then straighten out your hand, making the loop of string move to the back

length of string toward you and push it through the loop tied to your left wrist from back to front

back and you will

be free Try challenging two other friends—see how long they take to figure it out!

Throw each ball when the one before it is about to reach its highest point.

Once in a rhythm, you will

be juggling with three balls

pencil around your thumb

while deep in thought.

thumb, index, and middle fingers Your middle finger should be just below halfway

up the pencil

toward you and extend your index finger Your middle finger should end up resting on your thumb

around your thumb

When it hits your middle finger, move your index finger back to catch it

or three balls

of its arc, throw the third and repeat that pattern using the rhythm of two-ball juggling

one ball and then throw the ball in your other hand just before the first reaches its highest arc

three balls, take hold of two balls in one

hand and one ball in the other

1

12

2

3

Change a card by magic

If you want to show off in front of you friends, why not impress them with

a magic trick? Tell them that you can change a card just by touching it You’ll

need lots of practice to make your performance perfect, but stick with it.

Multiply your money

Sadly, it isn’t possible to double your money with magic, despite

the fact that this trick will convince your friends that you can

turn one small coin into two larger ones.

up in one of your hands

Show the audience that

your other hand is empty

coins horizontally between the thumb

and index finger of your right hand, and

hold a smaller coin in your other hand

hands so that in one hand you have

a large coin and in the other a large

coin with the small coin hidden behind it

deck of cards, using the top of your palm to move the top card slightly forward

your thumb and index finger, so that it obscures both of the large coins from the audience’s view This is your starting point

show them to the audience Because the small coin was

on top, it is hidden from view, leaving just two large coins in sight

your left thumb to slide the smaller coin over the others so that they are stacked with the smallest coin on top

pull your palm back, bringing the second card

again, pushing the second card back to the top of the deck Reveal the magic!

12

TOP TIP

You need to perform this trick very quickly so that your audience never sees the hidden coins.

1Face your audience and

extend your left hand

out to the side with

the thumb and middle finger of your right

the center of the palm

of your left hand, but

fingers down over the coin, but pretend

and slip the coin into your palm so it seems

to have vanished

13

Palm a coin

Palming is a technique for concealing an object in the palm of your hand

to make it look as if it has disappeared It takes a lot of practice to master,

but it’s an important technique that every budding magician should learn.

Ace of

Guess a friend’s card

By combining some smooth hand moves with a bit of showmanship,

you can misdirect an audience so that they believe you are doing

one thing while you’re actually doing something else.

Pick a card, say the ace of hearts, and

place it at the top of the deck Write

the name of the card on a piece of paper,

fold the paper, and put in your pocket

the bottom card to your audience—the

ace of hearts! It is the card you wrote

down on the piece of paper and put in your

pocket, not the one your volunteer picked

into your palm with your thumb—the ace

of hearts will be at the bottom Hold these cards slightly apart with a finger Casually spread the other cards over the top

the deck at this card, placing the top half

at the bottom, but slide the four cards you are holding separately underneath

that you have psychic powers Put the deck

to one side, reach into your pocket and show the audience the paper with your prediction on it

TOP TIP

Practice makes perfect Never perform a trick

in front of an audience until it has been perfected.

The coin has been slipped into your right hand.

Saw someone

in half

Despite being perhaps the most famous

magic trick of all, sawing someone in half

is by no means the hardest However, it

does require specialized equipment and

two assistants, so you should not try this

at home But if you have ever been curious

as to how it’s pulled off, now you’ll know!

assistant curl up in the bottom half

of the box, completely out of sight

Wheel your box onstage and tell the

audience you will saw someone in half

the box They should curl their body so that they remain in only the top half of the box Never let the audience see inside, though

hidden assistant should put their legs through the hole in the bottom

so that it looks like only one person is lying down in the box

14

Repair a string with magic

Like many magic tricks, this one requires preparation The key is never revealing that there is more than one piece of string To distract your audience from exactly what is going

on, make sure your performance is a showstopper with grand gestures and captivating commentary.

audience in your other hand, showing it is a single piece Taking

it in the middle, place it into your first hand, with the loop at the top

obscuring your audience’s view, and tuck the broken loop out of sight into your palm Then pull the “repaired”

string out of the bottom of your palm

into your palm so that the strands hang out of the bottom

Then pull the top of your hidden loop out of the top of your hand

by cutting the loop sticking out of your hand Tell your audience that you will be able to repair the string with magic

length of string and make it into

a loop Tape the ends together

Keep this string concealed in your hand, held as shown above

sections apart After your audience

gasps, bring the halves back together The

hidden assistant should pull their legs in just as

you help the other assistant out of the box

to somewhere other than the hand hiding the string.

Learn to tie more effective knots on pages 148–149

15

Twist some fun

balloon shapes

Balloon modeling is a fun party trick, and there are lots of different

shapes to make Here are three of the most popular The only

things you’ll need are balloons and a lot of puffs—or a small pump!

about 1 in (2.5 cm) at

the end deflated This slack

allows you to twist balloons

without bursting them

Sword

(12 cm) up from the knotted end Twist it a few times so that it doesn’t untwist itself This will be the sword’s handle

the twist, fold the balloon over toward the deflated end Twist the longer section into

loop you’ve made, fold the balloon over and twist in the same place for a second loop

a 4-in (10-cm) tail About

8 in (20 cm) up from the

the end meets the first fold It should look a little

meet, making sure you catch the knot in the twist You should have two loops and

it into the other to make the swan’s body The upright tube will form its neck and head

Kissing swans

an 7-in (18-cm) tail Twist a 2-in

(5-cm) bubble for the head and then

make a fold about 2 in (5 cm) away

Poodle

the twist, fold together to make a loop Push the head

(7-cm) bubble, then two 1-in (2.5-cm) bubbles, and another 3-in (7-cm) bubble

about 3 in (7 cm) long and then repeat step 3 to make the poodle’s hind legs

Types of balloons Modeling balloons come in several sizes The most common, and the size needed

to make these models, is called 260 Find them in party stores or on the Internet.

16

2Holding the balloon so that

it faces you, push some pins into the balloon through the pieces of tape The tape will stop the balloon from bursting

pieces of tape about 1 in (2 cm) over it in a few different places

Make sure that it sticks on completely flat to reduce visibility

17

longest section of balloon—the

blade—so that they are in line

with each other En garde!

the body Hold it tightly and squeeze some

of the air around the bend you’ve made

Repeat to give the swan a mate

squeeze the tail, pushing some of the air to the end to achieve a “bubbly” look

and prove that the balloon and pins are not fake by throwing the balloon up into the air so that

it lands on a pin and pops

Take to the skies

Have you ever wondered if it is possible

to achieve liftoff with balloons? Well, using strong weather balloons made

of latex and filled with helium, it is

Tie some to a chair and you could hitch a ride.

Make an invincible balloon

This simple trick will leave your audience stumped as to how you’ve pushed a real pin into a real balloon without making it go pop.

area clear of anything overhead, using strong rope Prepare any provisions that you’d like to take with you

balloons to the chair and fill them with helium Once they are inflated, get in the chair and strap yourself in

so that you soar into the air

Enjoy the view!

of the balloon strings Do this gradually so that you have a slow, controlled descent

Safety!

While several people have completed a lawn-chair flight, do not try this at home

It is very dangerous and strictly for the professionals!

Go to pages 106-107 and blow some brilliant bubbles.

Find magic number 9

Before you start, bear in mind the answer is always 9, so if you do this trick in

front of a group of friends, you’ll be able to do it only once And obviously don’t

tell your friends the name of the trick or you’ll give the game away!

1Write the number 9 on a piece of pa

per

Fold the piece of paper and give it t

o a

friend, telling him not to look at it.

2 With a calculator, get your friend t

o do

the following calculations:

• start with his age

• add the number of his house

• add the last four digits of his

• add the digits of the answer together

If the answer still has more than one

digit, ask him to keep adding the digits

together until there is only one

3The answer is always 9 Tell y

our friend

to look at the piece of paper and watch

his amazement!

choose a domino at random without letting you

know which one she has picked

and then do the following calculations She should multiply

the number by 5, add 7, multiply by 2, and then add

the other number on the domino

Subtract 14 from this and you will be left with a two-digit

number, which will correspond to the two numbers

on your friend’s domino Magic!

Guess the domino

Use some nifty math to fool your friends into

thinking you are psychic by guessing which domino

they have in their hand This trick is simple, but

it works every time!

Escape from

a maze

Mazes are life-size puzzles that people seem to

love getting lost in—as long as they can eventually

find a way out! If you commit these tips to memory,

you’ll be out in no time at all.

Stick to one side

A simply-connected maze is one where all of the walls are connected to the outer boundary

In a maze like this, keep one hand against one wall and follow the path As long as you don’t swap hands halfway, you will always end

up at the exit.

Menacing maze The more twists and turns a

maze has, the harder it is to

navigate See if you can find the

route through this maze Sticking

to one side will take you back out

the way you came in—to reach

the dot in the center you’ll have

to use trial and error.

Trial and error Mazes where some of the walls aren’t connected to one another are more difficult to solve Trial and error is the only way—leave markers on the ground so that you know if you have doubled back With this maze, the challenge is to find your way to the center and then out again.

A-MAZING

used interchangably with

maze, but they are not

the same A labyrinth has

a single path leading

to the center and

back out again

19

To go from baffling someone else’s brain

to confusing your own, turn to pages 30–31.

Hot dog

Wooden spoon

Make a friend scream

The human mind is a sensitive thing – so sensitive, in fact, that

it can be made to feel pain through an inanimate object Try this trick out on an unsuspecting friend.

You will need:

of a table top, with the index finger

of their right hand resting on the table

Place a hot dog where the index finger

of their left hand would be Tell your friend you’re going to make them think

20

and the hot dog at the same time

Blow on both the finger and the hot dog, and in a soothing voice ask

if your friend can feel anything Your friend will keep on telling you that what you’re doing is having no effect

being gentle and soothing, and then suddenly smash the spoon down on the hot dog Do not hit the finger Your friend will yell out, thinking, for a moment, that their finger has been hurt

Bodysurf

at home

Bodysurfing involves riding

a wave flat on your front,

without a board It takes skill

and dedication to master

Round up a few friends to

put this easier (and drier)

version to the test.

You can use any waist-height solid object, not just a sofa.

Walk down

invisible stairs

This trick is an old favorite The secret is to

make your movements as smooth as possible

Making comical facial expressions adds to

the spectacle.

a sofa and tell your audience that there is an invisible staircase that only you can see hidden behind it

TOP TIP

If you don’t have a hot dog at hand, a long, thin cookie is a good, but messy, alternative.

friends and get them

to lie down on their stomachs, as close together as possible Lie down on your stomach across their backs, with your arms stretched out

in front of you

roll their bodies at the same time and

in the same direction

See how long you can

“surf” without falling off!

Front view

a sheet of paper and carefully cut it out

Levitate

Levitation means hovering in the air unaided

You can create the illusion that you’re defying

gravity with this simple trick Just take care not

to let your audience stray from its position!

Walk through paper

If you’re looking for a way to mystify your friends, tell them that you can walk through a sheet of paper and then challenge them to try it Once they’ve given up, show them how it’s done.

behind you at about

a 45-degree angle from

where you are standing

Lift the foot that is closest

to your audience a few

inches into the air

on the tiptoe of your other

foot, lifting your heel so that

it is in line with your first foot

From a 45-degree angle,

it will look as if you are levitating just above the floor.

to the other, taking small steps and bending down a little bit

the sofa, you should be completely concealed Now either walk back

up the invisible stairs or slink off unseen

You can exaggerate your walking motion

by swinging your arms back and forth.

and you’ll find that it forms a hole large enough to walk through

Step through the sheet

of paper and prove that you’re as good

as your word!

Lift your arms

as you rise to exaggerate the effect of levitation.

Strum guitar chords

A guitar has six strings that get thicker and lower pitched from

1 to 6 Plucking one string produces a single note Plucking

while holding the string down above one of the frets gives

a different note Strum two or more strings together in the

right combination and you are playing a chord First learn

your way around the guitar and then start strumming!

22

Holding a

guitar

Hold the neck of the guitar

with one hand so that the

back of the instrument is

flat against your body Make

sure that the guitar is the

right way up—the thickest

string should be on top,

with the thinnest string

closest to the floor

Chords

These are four of the simplest chords to learn, and they form the basis of many

popular songs Strum the strings from top to bottom while pressing the frets

where indicated Remember, where you see an X, don’t strum the string

A gray circle indicates that you need to hold your finger

on the string above a fret—

in this case, the second fret.

TOP TIP

Use your fingertips

to press the fret and keep your fingers curled—if you touch any strings by accident, the chord won’t sound right.

Frets are raised bars

on the neck of a guitar The first fret is the one closest to the top of the neck, so this is the third fret.

An O indicates that you should strum this string.

In these instructions,

an X above a string indicates that you don’t play it at all.

The number in the circle tells you which finger to use

on the fret: 1 is your index finger, 2 is your middle finger, 3 is your ring finger, and 4 is your pinkie.

Support the neck of the guitar with the thumb of one hand so that your fingers are ready to play the frets

Strum with your other hand.

To put your fingers

to a different use, turn to page 185 to learn how to flick marbles

234

4

Woke up this morning,

Play the blues

The 12-bar blues is a popular chord progression This simple version

uses variations of A, D, and E chords where only two strings are

strummed For each chord, you’re going to strum a total of eight times

Make up your own bluesy lyrics and set your troubles to music!

playing the second fret of the fifth string (diagram 1) Strum this again Strum the same two strings, this time playing the fourth fret of the fifth string (diagram 2) Strum this again, then repeat

A Strum the fourth and fifth strings,

playing the second fret of the fourth

string (diagram 1) Strum this again Strum

the same two strings, this time playing the fourth

fret of the fourth string (diagram 2) Strum this

again, then repeat from the beginning

playing the second fret of the third string (diagram 1) Strum this again

Strum the same two strings, this time playing the fourth fret of the third string (diagram 2)

Strum this again, then repeat

TOP TIP

For a bluesy rhythm, change between the two different sounds

Play the piano

The piano is the easiest musical instrument to get a simple tune out of

Advanced players use two hands, one to play the rhythm and the other the

melody—something that’s difficult or impossible to do on other instruments

Starting with the G below middle C, hit the keys in this sequence (The bold G means hit the G one octave higher than the one you started on.)

Black keys are sharp

and flat notes.

fell out of bed,

Yes, I woke up this morning, fell out of bed, cracked my shoulder, and split my head

Yes, if I’d stayed asleep,

Moonwalk like

Michael Jackson

Don’t swing your hips—keep them straight.

24

backward without taking it off the floor

and put all of your weight on it, with your right foot flat on the floor

KING OF POP

Michael Jackson made

the moonwalk dance

move famous when he

first performed it on

television in 1983.

Move your

body

Practice these moves to perfection

in the privacy of your own home

and your friends will be amazed

when you step up to perform

them on the dance floor It goes

without saying that you have to do

the steps in time with the beat or

it won’t have the same effect.

Wave the hip-hop way

your fingers pointing up Curl

a right angle, and at the same time

toward your shoulder, which should

your arms behind you and your hands pointing back

out in front of you, palm down Do the same with your left arm

Do the Macarena

right palm, then your left

shoulder with your right hand, then your right shoulder with your left hand

hand on the back of your head, then cover it with your left hand

help you look the part.

Your weight should be

on the other leg so that this leg can move freely.

of your right foot, repeat steps 1–3 with the opposite feet

floor As it touches the ground,

lift up your right heel

on tiptoe Bend your knees and keep your legs slightly apart

forward

on the ball

of your right foot and twist both legs to the left

the balls of your feet, step forward with your left foot and twist both legs to the right—and keep on dancing!

Walk it out

starting off by hunching up

and push the heel of your hand

with your fingers

you’re in the starting position again Now repeat in reverse

hand on your left hip and your left

hips three times and

hands and turn a quarter

to the left Repeat steps 1–7!

Keeping your arms

by your side means your viewers’ focus will

be on your feet.

in homage to the King of Pop.

Swing your hips from side to side

as you move your legs.

Hold your arms

up and move them

to the beat.

Figure out your Chinese horoscope

In Chinese astrology, your animal sign is based on the year of your birth For example,

anyone born in 2000 has the dragon as their animal sign Which animal are you?

Classical elements

Astrologers split star signs

into earth, fire, air, and

water signs The signs

within a group all have

similar characteristics.

Earth signs

You may need

security and take

awhile to adapt to new

situations, but you are

polite and sociable.

you are also interested,

curious, and good at

to pass through 12 different constellations This circle of star groups makes up the zodiac

26

Have fun with astrology

The day of your birth indicates your star sign and, astrologists say,

your personality Do you know what your zodiac sign is—and

does the description of its characteristics ring true?

1974, 1986,

1998, 2010

TIGER Fearless, strong, powerful

1975, 1987,

1999, 2011

RABBIT Popular, kind, sincere

1977, 1989,

2001, 2013

SNAKE Smart, thoughtful, wise

19Strong, intelligent, and impulsiv

e

Taurus

Apr 20–Ma

y 20

Smar

t, sociable,

and determined

GeminiMa

20Generous, popular

, and easygoing

Capricorn

Dec 22–Jan 19Serious, ca

pable,

, and kindScor

pioOc

t 23–No

v 21

Powerful, intense,

and passionate

Sagitta

dventurous,

and optimistic

VirgoAug 23–Sept 22

Creativ

e, intelligent,

and patient

Cancer

ul 22

Homelo

ving, caring, and a bit of a dr

eamer

Leo Jul 23–Aug 22Ambitious, confident,

and sociable

1981, 1993,

2005, 2017

ROOSTER Neat, observant, practical

1982, 1994,

2006, 2018

DOG Faithful, giving, courageous

Turn on the gypsy charm and practice

the art of palmistry—seeing what a

person’s hand reveals about their life.

Breaks in the lifeline

are signs of struggles;

a long line means good

health and vitality.

A short head line shows

that you can think clearly

and simply; a long one can

be the sign of an intellectual.

The fate line shows major influences on you—not having one may mean you already have your life mapped out.

The Jupiter (index) finger shows self-confidence;

a long one indicates ambitions for power.

The Mercury (little) finger represents communication; in loners, it tends to lean away from the other fingers.

The Apollo (ring) finger reveals business sense and creativity:

the longer it is, the more likely you are to take risks.

An extra-long Saturn (middle) finger indicates seriousness; a stubby one may mean impetuousness

1979, 1991,

2003, 2015

MONKEY Smart, fun loving, playful

1980, 1992,

2004, 2016

To go from palmistry to palming a coin, turn to page 13

MISMATCH

Chinese years don’t

exactly correspond to

Western ones If you

were born in January,

the animal for the year

before your birth may

be a closer match.

The whole picture

Don’t forget to read both hands! The

marks on the dominant hand (the right

hand for a right-handed person) are

said to show the “public” self The

other hand reveals dreams and hopes.

TOP TIP

Ask your sitter to take off any rings Open the hand and evenly spread out the fingers.

The union, or love, lines show how many strong relationships you will have.

The fame line shows the presence

of artistic talents and creativity.

The heart line shows

if you are ruled by the heart (straight)

or head (curved).

Travel lines can mark real trips you’ve made—or trips you wish you’d made.

Line

of

l e

L ine

Line of union

L

ine o

f

fat/ca

Last resorts

If all else fails, act quickly Either expose the vampire to direct sunlight or hold

a crucifix in front of them Driving

a stake through a vampire’s heart

is strictly for the professionals.

Prepare for the afterlife

The ancient Egyptians believed

that at the point of death,

a person’s soul (or “ka”)

could continue to live in the

afterlife, but only if the body

was preserved through a process

called mummification This

meant the soul could travel

to the afterlife Here’s how

to prepare for the trip.

28

Pack personal items You’ll need to take furniture, clothes, food, and drinks with you into the afterlife,

so pack your tomb well Also take any precious things you’re especially fond of—jewelry, toys, even pets!

Choose an established embalmer Look around for the best embalmer Your embalmer will wear a jackal mask to represent Anubis, the mummification god Your organs will be removed and your brain hooked out

of your nose, but you won’t feel a thing!

Avoid a vampire’s bite

Since the 1700s, there have been chilling reports of vampires rising from

the grave to feast on the blood of the living One bite

from them and you’re a bloodsucker, too So how can you keep

them at bay? Here’s how to vanquish a vampire.

Don’t invite trouble Vampires cannot pass through

a doorway without an invitation,

so be careful who you let over the threshold Lock your windows, too, as vampires can climb vertical walls and often make unexpected entrances.

Take a bath Vampires cannot cross running water, so turn

on the hot water, lie back, and relax, safe in the knowledge that you can’t be touched.

Eat garlic

If you’ve invited a vampire to dinner, cook with lots of garlic Vampires hate the smell, and they’ll opt for a quick exit rather than a big bite.

BLOOD ORANGE

Slavic legend tells that even fruits and vegetables can become vampires if they are bitten by a bloodsucker!

Make a mask For the finishing touch, the Egyptians placed a funeral mask over the mummy’s head Your mask must resemble you and should be made of wood, cartonnage (similar to papier-mâché), or gold! Masks can be as ornate and colorful as you choose Make some magical amulets

Packed with powers, magical amulets will

protect you on your journey to the afterlife

Create your own by decorating stones

Give them to your embalmer to insert

between the wrappings of your bandages.

Flashlight

Camera

Tape recorder

Notepad and pen

Hold a ghost hunt

Staging a spookathon is the best way to lift the spirits

A creepy location, some basic equipment, a bit of belief, and a lot of patience are all you need

Remember your manners when asking apparitions to make an appearance

Don’t forget, ghosts were once just like you!

You will need:

Allow plenty of time to set up your equipment before the hunt Avoid unnecessarily touching anything at the location

to ensure the environment

is as natural as possible.

Ghost hunters recommend checking out old houses, castles, and graveyards because the long and sometimes turbulent histories can entice ghosts

Whether you notice an unexplained sound, a change

in temperature, or a strange apparition, try to capture it all on film or sound recording

When you are ready, call

on the ghosts to appear

Remain respectful and calm,

so the ghosts do not feel

threatened, and stay alert

for supernatural signs.

Torches and candles are essential on the hunt to light your way through the spooky setting Don’t forget to bring some spare batteries as well.

Safety!

Never go out alone at night, or without telling an adult where you’ve gone

Trick your body

As these experiments show, your body can sometimes be

tricked into subconciously doing something, even when your

mind is consciously telling it to do something else.

and relax After

a few moments, your arms should begin

to rise up, as if they are floating All that pushing caused tension in your muscles, which is why they continue to lift

Arms down

At times your brain can be overprotective,

stopping you from doing something even when

again, but this time place one of your feet (the one

on the same side as your raised arm) on a small step or a pile

of books

be able to push your arm down Your brain thinks your spine has become vulnerable, so it stops focusing on your arm

Arms up

Follow these steps and it will seem as

if your arms have a mind of their own,

acting independently of your brain.

stop Relax your hands and gently bring them together It should feel as if there is

an invisible force in the way, pushing them apart

Create a force field

By exerting your muscles in certain ways, your body can be made to feel all sorts

of mysterious sensations.

a friend to place their hands on both sides

of yours Now get them to try to push your hands together as you try to pull them apart

Heavy fingers Here, our brain tries to convince us that

we can do something that seems easy but that is actually physically impossible.

a flat surface, such as a table Tuck your middle finger under your palm so that the second joint of your finger is lying flat

this would be easy, but because your second and third fingers share a tendon,

no matter how hard you try, it won’t budge

straight to the side Get a friend to press down on your wrist using two fingers

You should easily be able to resist their pressure

Mind over matter Our brains are always trying to protect our bodies from doing dangerous things—and what could

be more dangerous than lying on hundreds of sharp nails? Amazingly,

as long as there are enough nails and you lie completely flat, evenly distributing your weight, it is possible for someone who knows what they are doing to lie on a bed of nails without causing an injury.

Confuse your brain

Just as your mind can play tricks on your body, your body can play tricks

on your mind, making it believe in things that aren’t really happening.

of you Rotate your foot around in a clockwise

direction a few times until you get into a rhythm

Get mixed up

Your brain can do many amazing things It can solve complicated calculations,

learn languages, and play fiendishly difficult computer games But sometimes

it finds it almost impossible to do two simple things at the same time.

hand try to draw a counterclockwise circle

in the air Most people find it impossible

your legs up into the air and ask a friend to

hold them there for two minutes Try to stay

your legs back down to the floor Stay relaxed, and after a few moments, your legs should feel

as if they are dropping through the floor

Fall through the floor

Your body’s senses tell your brain what’s going on in the world

so that your brain can tell it what to do Sometimes, however,

these messages can get a little confused.

31

The Pinocchio effect Sometimes removing just one of your senses can confuse the others Follow these steps

to see what it feels like to have your nose grow as long as Pinocchio’s.

chair right in front of you Put on a blindfold and carefully place your left hand on your friend’s nose and your right hand on your own nose

with your left hand Do exactly the same thing

to your nose After a few moments, your friend’s nose should start to feel as if it’s yours

OPTICAL ILLUSIONS Your eyes turn patterns of light and shade into electronic signals that are processed by the brain, allowing us to see the world

Information stored in your memory helps you make sense of what you see But it can also confuse you

by applying the wrong set of rules, and this creates optical illusions

Tricky triangle The Penrose triangle was first conceived by English mathematician Roger Penrose The three straight beams

of the triangle appear in front and behind one another at the same time and meet at right angles to one another.

Puzzle your eyes

and brain

The optical illusions on these pages play tricks on your eyes and

brain Still images seem to move or change, dots appear from

nowhere, and lines play with your perception of sizes and angles

No one knows exactly why some of these illusions work, but

they’ll make you cross-eyed!

Seeing spots

If you stare at this scintillating grid, you’ll see dark spots

flash (scintillate) at the intersections between the squares

The effect is reduced if you tilt your head to the side or

move closer or farther away from the image.

Bigger or smaller?

The red line at the top appears longer than the one at the bottom, but, in fact, they are exactly the same size This effect is caused by the black lines creating a sense of perspective.

Elliptical band

At first glance, this object appears to be a normal loop

However, if you follow the edges, you see that it is not

possible for this to exist in 3-D Try covering up either half

of the image with your hand, and it looks like a normal loop.

See impossible shapes

Sometimes your brain tries to see the impossible It is possible to draw

2-D objects that appear 3-D, although they could not exist in reality

See what you make of these impossible objects.

Cover your right eye with your right hand and focus

on the cross to the right of the wheel

focused on the cross You should gradually see

the circle in the center disappear

cannot detect light, so your brain has filled in the

gaps with the spokes of the wheel

Ouchi illusion

If you move your eyes around this image, the circle in the middle appears separate from the rectangular background It is thought that the illusion comes from the brain being unsure of where the circle ends if you are not looking directly at it.

Crossed lines

Look at these four vertical lines They appear tilted, when

in fact they are perfectly straight This illusion was created

by German astrophysicist Johann Karl Friedrich Zöllner

Find your blind spot

The place where the optic nerve (linking your eye to your brain)

leaves the eye cannot detect light and is called a blind spot

The brain tries to invent information to fill in the gap

Discover your blind spot with this exercise.

Rotating rings

If you glance at the image below, it seems

as if the rings are rotating However, if you concentrate on just one specific area of the image, the movement appears to stop

Lift fingerprints

Fingertips have ridges that help detect the texture of surfaces Thanks to the oils on your skin, you leave prints of these ridged patterns on everything you touch Although there are four types of fingerprints, no two people have exactly the same prints This makes them very useful for solving crimes.

the handle to remove any excess

Lightly brush the powder over the

print, apply a piece of tape to the print Make sure it makes good contact, with no creases

a place to find fingerprints

Doors, windows, cups, and bottles are all places where people are likely

to have put their hands Remember that the prints may be invisible

fingerprints from any suspects using an ink pad Compare the prints with the one you lifted earlier

from the surface It should lift the

print away, too Apply the tape to

a sheet of dark paper

FINGERPRINT TYPES

Arches This is the rarest type of fingerprint Only about five percent of people have arch prints.

Combination Also known as a composite pattern, these prints share characteristics of the other fingerprint types.

Loops Loops are the most common type of pattern About 60–70 percent of all fingerprints are loops.

Whorls These fingerprints look very distinctive About

25 percent of fingerprint patterns are whorls.

Read body language

We all have a variety of body postures that say a lot about how we are feeling Some are

obvious, like jumping for joy, but many are more difficult to define There are some people

who can detect the subtle gestures, but this is a real skill Here are a few to look out for

Mimicry Many of our body-language gestures are contagious For example, when you look at a smiling person, you often start to smile yourself This is called mirroring Watch people who are talking to each other and you will often see them adopting the same postures This usually means they get along well

Hands behind head

An expression of confidence

or superiority.

Crossed arms Indicates a person is putting

up a defensive barrier.

Tilted head Usually suggests a person is bored or lost in thought.

Hands on hips

Often indicates impatience

or possibly even anger.

Eyes looking upward

A sign of someone trying to dominate a conversation.

Looking at your lips

A strong sign of romantic attachment or intent.

Detect lies

Your emotions tend to trigger certain reactions when you are trying to

deceive someone, especially if the deception is very important You can

use these body language indicators to see if someone is lying to you.

HOW LIE DETECTORS WORK

Crime investigators interrogating suspects sometimes monitor their more physical reactions using lie detectors An increase in heart rate, breathing, or sweating in response

to a certain question may show that the answer is a lie But since habitual liars such as conmen are capable

of masking their emotions when lying, lie detectors are not foolproof Blinking

Excessive blinking is a

well-known sign of a lie.

Holding body rigid

Becoming uncomfortable

is common when lying.

Avoiding eye contact

As our eyes are so revealing, hiding them is suspicious.

Dilated pupils This can occur when people experience strong emotions.

Adjusting clothing Deceit is often indicated by fidgeting or nervousness.

Shrugging

A liar will often feign ignorance when questioned.

Ride a unicycle

If you can ride a bike, you can learn how to ride a unicycle It will take time to

become skilled, but you can get started with the help of two friends You’ll probably

be trying this on someone else’s unicycle anyway, so get him or her to help out.

36

saddle between your legs and

the wheel in front Use your

friends to steady you as you put

your foot onto the closest pedal

and push back a bit so that the

wheel is beneath you

with the pedals level Do this again

Try a full turn, then two turns, always ending with the pedals level Look straight ahead, not at the ground

when you feel a little more confident, switch to holding your friends less tightly Try to pedal some more half turns and complete turns

your friends’ shoulders, sit

up straight Make sure your weight is on the seat, not the pedals Gently push the pedals back and forth to get the feel

of them, then rotate them until they are level

with only one friend See how it goes Then briefly let go altogether—but ask your friends to stay close

Don’t try to stay still; you need to keep moving to stay steady

take a break To get off, lean forward and put your feet down

When you’ve been practicing for about

an hour, you should know whether or not you will ever master this!

TOP TIP

Make sure you set the seat at the right height—your leg should be almost straight when the pedal is at its lowest.

You will need:

HAUTE CUISINE

In the 1850s, French

acrobat Charles Blondin

became world famous for

cooking an omelet on

a high wire stretched

across Niagara Falls.

that it is slightly slack Step on it and make sure that it is not more than

12 in (30 cm) from the ground

rope Don’t look at your feet Look forward and use your hips to keep your balance Keep your weight on your back leg

your friends to help you up onto the rope somewhere near the middle, holding your arms out straight

wobbling too much, take a step, find your footing, stand again, and then take another step Keep your arms out

rope Start by standing on one leg It’s easier than standing on two because you can use the other leg to help stay balanced

angle and transfer your weight onto it Swivel on the ball of your front foot and shift your weight as you face the other way

some confidence, tighten and raise the rope a little You’ll be joining the circus before you know it!

Find out how to tie a rope with the right knot

on pages 148-149

o

t

1Sit in the copilot’s seat and buckle

up If the plane has only one seat,

you will have to move the pilot Take

the yoke and gently pull it back until the

wings on the attitude indicator (above)

are level with the artificial horizon

stable, so once it is level, it should fly itself However, look for a button labeled autopilot, auto flight, AFS, or AP Turn it on, then use the radio to call for help

you will need a reasonably flat space to land on Look around for a big flat area such as a field Make sure there are no overhead wires or other obstructions

on the throttle Make sure the air-speed indicator stays in the green zone above 70 knots Adjust the yoke so that the nose is about 4 in (10 cm) below the horizon

Land an airplane

Becoming a pilot requires a lot of training However, most small noncommercial

aircraft are fairly easy to control, and since they fly quite slowly, you stand a

good chance of making a safe landing if the pilot should suddenly collapse Read

the instructions below in case one day you find yourself at the controls If you

have a computer with a flight simulator game, you can practice on that.

38

An airplane’s steering wheel is called the yoke It controls both turning (left and right) and pitch (up and down)

Pull back gently to bring the nose up;

push forward slightly to point it down.

Air speed is measured in knots—nautical miles per hour Anything under 70 knots

in the air is dangerously slow The green sector on the air-speed indicator represents the safe zone.

horizon, consists of a mobile picture

of the horizon that moves relative to lines that represent the plane’s wings.

The dial that revolves around

a small image of a plane is called the heading and is a compass

to help with navigation.

autopilot